Tag Archives: sculpture

The Massive Angel Of The North Sculpture in the UK

We had passed it several times over the last few years as we travelled either north or south along the eastern coastline of the UK — the massive Angel Of The North sculpture looming over the highway outside of Newcastle. But this time, in spite of the snow flurries and icy temperatures, we stopped to view this huge piece by British artist Antony Gormley.

I’ve made sure that I included two images that contain an adult in them so you can get an idea of the scale of this very, very large piece of artwork.

Enjoy!

 

Angel Of The North Sculpture by Antony Gormley on a hillside overlooking the motorway into Newcastle Upon Tyne.


 

Angel Of The North Sculpture by Antony Gormley on a hillside overlooking the motorway into Newcastle Upon Tyne.


 

Mark (6 ft. tall) standing at the bottom of The Angel Of The North sculpture


 

Close-up of the beautiful metal structure of the Angel Of The North Sculpture by Antony Gormley on a hillside overlooking the motorway into Newcastle Upon Tyne.


 

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Remembrance of World War I in St. Girons, France

France, like England, is full of war memorials that list the dead from World War I or World War II. Frequently these consist of a simple cross with an engraved plaque filled with names.

The World War I monument in St. Girons, Midi-Pyrenees, France is a more elaborate monument though and the sculpture is quite poignant in its portrayal of grief and loss.
 

A poignant World War I memorial for the dead killed between 1914-1918 from the area of St. Girons, Midi-Pyrenees, France


 

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Dali Dreaming

Where did the last 21 days go? I am sitting in my darling apartment in the South of France and as I edit photos, I have just realised that it has been 3 weeks since I took these pictures in the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

The center atrium (more shots in an upcoming article) has the type of feature that reveals the wildly humorous streak which infused Salvadore Dali’s work. A gigantic sculpture of a goddess figure is riding atop a vintage black Cadillac beneath a stunning eye to the sky opening. It is actually breathtaking because it knocks your visual senses off-kilter.
 

A massive statue of a goddess rides atop the roof of a vintage black Cadillac at the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.


 

An oculus or eye to the sky hovers above the atrium sculpture garden in Salvadore Dali’s museum in Figueres, Spain.


 

We’re already thinking of our next trip to Spain — but for now, here was how we spent an hour before we went to see the Dali works of art.
 

Mark pouring a glass of wine at lunch in Figueres, Spain.


 

Make sure to come back for more interior and exterior views of the Dali Museum in the coming days.

 

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Woolly Headed in Barcelona

Woolly mammoth — right? This huge sculpture, usually covered with children climbing all over it, is in the 30 hectare (66 acre) Parc De La Ciutadella in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, Spain.
 

Huge sculpture of a woolly mammoth in the Parc de la Ciutadella in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, Spain


 
Actually, this ‘woolly headed’ state describes how I am feeling today. Still taking it a bit slow since we returned from Barcelona, I’m dealing with normal household nonsense whilst wading very carefully through hundreds and hundreds of photographs.

Keep coming back — there are lots of pretty things to share in the week (or so!) ahead!

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Amazing Architectural Details in Barcelona

Jostled by fast moving lunch-time pedestrians, I felt compelled to ignore the annoyed stares of people walking by and simply stand my ground for a tiny minute as I shot these photos. These carvings were around the entry door of the urban gothic style Casa Amatller, designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. This elegant building is right next door to Gaudi’s Casa Batlli (photo essay coming up in another article) on Passeig de Gràcia in the district of Barcelona known as Eixample. This particular block is also known as Illa de la Discòrdia — a reference to the radically different and, at the time, quite controversial style of Modernista architecture.
 

Sculptural element on front facade of Casa Amatller in Barcelona, Spain


 

Sculptural element on front facade of Casa Amatller in Barcelona, Spain


 

Sculptural element on front facade of Casa Amatller in Barcelona, Spain


 

This is a particularly stunning part of Barcelona and should be high on the list of ‘must see’ locations when visiting this vibrant and diverse city.

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Photo Of The Day From France: Les Braves

The wind whipped the flags behind us and the gusts were so strong that I was compelled to lean against any available building or post when I had a chance. But the sky was gloriously layered as Mark strode between the metal blades of the sculpture and the beauty of it all took my breath away.

Les Braves is not the usual type of memorial that one sees on battlefields. It is a soaring piece of contemporary art that was commemorated in 2004 at the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy during World War II. The French government commissioned this magnificent piece created by the woman sculptor Anilore Banon.
 

Les Braves monument on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France


 
We were fortunate to be there when the tide was out enough to walk around. But as you can see from the video on Banon’s site, the monument is surrounded by water when the tide is high and that too is quite a dramatic sight.

I have intentionally used a smaller version of the image so that you can click on the photo and EXPAND it to see the stunning beauty of that place, the somber moodiness that the weather created, and most of all, to take in the striking work of art against the sea and the sand.

To me it appears to be a glistening collection of swords impaled in those previously bloody sands, hilts buried in the beach and blade ends rising heavenward. But they also have the appearance of very contemporary and glowing angel wings. I suppose that it is up to each of us to interpret it according to our own personal vision and response.

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Photo Of The Day: A Classical Corner

Today’s photo is from a visit to the historical Castle Howard in Yorkshire, England.

This elegant statue, sitting alongside a glowing stained glass window, is in the corner of an art-lined passageway in the castle.
 

Statue and stained glass window in Castle Howard, Yorkshire, England


 

COPYRIGHT
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.